Voluntourism: 52 Tips

Voluntourism, the combination of volunteering for a cause while on vacation, takes a special kind of person. For these altruistic individuals, it’s less about the giving of time, labor, and money, and more about the rich reward of improving the world for its citizens. With thousands of volunteer vacation opportunities available worldwide, these tips may be helpful to pinpoint the right experience for you, and ensure a successful, enriching adventure.

Getting started
1) Visitwww.VolunTourism.org for tips on selecting the right program for you, preparing for your trip, and what to do once you’re home. You can choose to join a volunteer-sending organization, or find an independent opportunity.

2) Check out the International Volunteerism Resource Center pages of www.idealist.org for suggestions and resources specific to volunteering in a foreign country.

15) Sign up to help the sick. Camp Sunshine in Maine (www.campsunshine.org) provides respite to children with life-threatening illnesses. Volunteers help with food service, arts and crafts, recreational leadership, and child care.

16) Be a part of disaster relief. The American Red Cross (www.redcross.org) keeps a list for volunteers able to deploy on short notice. American Humane (www.americanhumane.org) similarly calls on volunteers for animal-related disaster relief.

17) Help out at a public park. The National Park Service Volunteers-In-Parks Program relies on assistance for a variety of upkeep projects, cleanups, and even staffing. www.nps.gov

18) Give someone a place to call home. Help build houses through Habitat for Humanity International’s Global Village program. (www.habitat.org/gv/)

19) Improve hiking trails by joining a trail building or rehabilitation project, widening and blazing paths, constructing foot bridges, or clearing brush. Start with a local hiking club, or the American Hiking Society (www.americanhiking.org).

20) Take pride in America. The country’s historical and national treasures need help with upkeep and staffing. Check out the Take Pride in America’s (www.takepride.gov) online database, searchable by state.

21) Handy with a hammer? The Heritage Conservation Network (www.heritageconservation.net) arranges hands-on workshops for architectural and site conservation around the world to restore and repair historic buildings.

22) Be a part of art. Volunteers are recruited to run WaterFire (www.waterfire.org),
the acclaimed installation of one hundred bonfires set on Providence’s rivers.

About the Author

Traci Suppa

Here’s where you won’t find freelance writer Traci L. Suppa: zip lining in the Costa Rican rainforest; snacking on toasted crickets in Thailand; or snowboarding down Mount Kilimanjaro. More likely, she’ll be riding shotgun in the family minivan, playing “I Spy” with her two children during a day trip through her Hudson Valley backyard. Get to know her “back-to-basics” approach to travel at www.wordscapesny.com.